21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Ambush and Chase

A herd of giraffe came across a large grassland. Two female lions had seen them from a distance and split up, moving low through the grasses. The first lioness got a giraffe mother and calf to run towards the other lion who was hidden. This is the moment when the second lion sprang up and the giraffes pivoted in their flight. The lion did knock down the calf and had it down in the tall grass where we could not see, but the mother came and threatened the lion and she backed off, giving the calf time to recover and then run away with the mother with what looked like minor wounds to it's nose and neck.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 06.2022
Date Uploaded: 11.2023
Photo Location: Kenya
Camera: Canon EOS R5
Copyright: © George Turner